Michael Chandler: Colby Covington 'should be fighting on the prelims' after UFC 296 performance

Michael Chandler was not impressed with Colby Covington’s performance at UFC 296.

Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) lost an uneventful decision to welterweight champion Leon Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC) in this past Saturday’s headliner at T-Mobile Arena, where he was unusually tentative in the first few rounds.

Chandler mocked Covington’s performance by using his 1776 war reference – the United States’ Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. He thinks Covington talked a big game and didn’t back it up.

“I said after three rounds, Colby has taken 1776 shots to the face and had zero offense.” Chandler said in an interview with Inside Fighting. “If Colby’s offense was an accurate depiction of the U.S. military, we would have never gotten our independence, lost World War I and lost World War II. One hundred percent (he let down Trump). It was worse than weak. It’s actually only because Colby made such a big deal about it.”

Chandler, who is expected to welcome Conor McGregor back in a welterweight bout in 2024, was asked if he’d ever like to fight Covington.

“Not now, not after that performance,” Chandler said. “Colby should be fighting on the prelims. That’s my opinion.”

Covington argued that he won Rounds 3, 4 and 5 but was only awarded the final frame by all three judges.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 296.